Epic Reads for Teens

Letters to the Lost by Brigid Kemmerer

Devastated by the loss of her mother, Juliet spends much of time at the cemetery, writing letters to her mom. Declan, an angry teen doing community service at the cemetery, finds Juliet’s letter and responds to it. At first enraged at the intrusion, Juliet begins to see how cathartic it can be to write to an anonymous stranger, and she and Declan begin a secret correspondence. When the harrowing truth in their letters begins to bleed into real life, however, Declan and Juliet must decide how to deal with the exposed secrets.

If you like Perks of Being a Wallflower and Love Letters to the Dead, this one is for you! Unlike the other two books, Kemmerer’s narrative varies between letters and prose from the character’s point of view. It’s a great read if you like books with feels, high school dramas, or underdog stories. I especially like the way the author forces you to look the way we see other people, and how we often peg someone into a stereotype when there’s always more to their story.